Ohio senior denied diploma over nose ring

PARMA, OH (WOIO) - A Parma High School senior got to participate in graduation, but in the end her diploma was withheld.

Schools officials told her to take out her nose ring, or else. She said she's being singled out.

"One of the counselors told me to take my nose ring out. I told her I couldn't because it would start to bled on stage," said student, Tessa Ellis.

It should have been her proudest day, but Tessa Ellis' graduation day was incomplete.

"I walked across the stage trying to hold back tears and then after I went to go get my diploma and they wouldn't give it to me because of my nose ring," said Ellis.

"Some of her girlfriends have them. Some of her girlfriends wore them last night. Didn't take them out. Nothing was said, nothing at all," said mother, Lynn Ellis.

This tiny piercing, is causing her big problems.

"I'm hurt for my kid. She went through 13 years to get to this point, and then they take it from her because of a nose ring," said Lynn Ellis.

According to the school dress code: "Visible piercings cannot be displayed on any part of the body. The only exception for visible piercings is the ear."

"She earned it, you can't just take that away from a person just because of how they look or what you're wearing," said Marko Janjetovic, Parma student.

A district rep tells me this could all be resolved with a parent-teacher conference, as it's their policy with any dress code violation. Then she could get her diploma, but so far they haven't scheduled one.

A Butler County woman has been researching a discovered diary that belonged to a late marine and is now making it her mission to get the piece of history back into the hands of the World War II veteran's family.

A Butler County woman has been researching a discovered diary that belonged to a late marine and is now making it her mission to get the piece of history back into the hands of the World War II veteran's family.